Vapor-feed means



Feb. 16 1926. 1,573,780

l. cowLEs VAPOR FEED MEANS lined April v, 1922 l I'latentedlreb.l `1 6, 1926. y y

UNiTsD STATESa1 .`.',rENTl oFFlcs.

IRVING oowiins, or CHICAGO, InLinoIs.

vAroR-FEED MEANS.

Application, :nca april 7, 1922.` semi No. 550,260.

To all 'za/0m t may concer/ii.'

Be it known that RviNG Cownns, a citilZen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State' of IllinoisI have Vinvented certain new and useful Im iroveinents in Vapor-Feed Means of which the following is aspecitication.

ll/ly invention relates to improvements in means for feeding vapors and gases to the intake of an internal combustion engine.V

' The object of myinventi'onis to provide "means of a simple character andv without moving parts through which air-or other Y gases c an be drawn into the intake of an engine for adding air or other gasesor -vapors to thecombustion ga'sesflovving `from the'carburetor to the engine. I

Y I arrange the device preferably inV contact. with the exhaust manifold in such a .manner that it becomes highlyheated, and when it is used to supply vapor-ized fluids such as water or hydrocarbon liquids to the engine intake, all material in liquid .form

, supplied tothe device 'is retained .therein untilthe liquid is kvaporized 'and it cannot escapeffrom the device'A and passto ythe engine until itis in vaporizedg'form.

u A particularly advantageous' feature of' `inydevice is inthe addition of water vapor to the combustionfgasestending to prevent the forming of carbonin the cylinders. such use the water may be carried. into theH device with air or be fe'd in Without lair* but in'either case tliewvater l is trapped in `the device and held there until it is vaporized before it can passfrom the'device to the'V engine intake. l y Y. n

A specialfeatureof value relates to means arranged within the device for. heating the vapors after the liquid has beenvaporized and has presumably produced a saturated vapor, the vapor is then heated to a higher temperature and thereby thecondensation of the vapor after it` enters the `intake or the cylinder is prevented. f

y Vrlhe uses of Vmy device aremany but they all relate .to the `prevent-ion of any fluids escaping from the device in liquidfoimfA ln` the'fee'ding of .waterfto lthe intake,I if the water feedy starts with the starting of the engine, the. water will be retained Vinthe .device until it Vbecomes heated rkan'dvaprorizedV by heat derived from the exhaust and this is in accordance withV the'needs as it' is well known `thatfafter the engine has." become heated andis running at normal speed that My invention will be more readily under-y vstood, by reference to the accompanying drawing forming partv of this specification and in -Wh1ch:

-, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation'` 4of an internal combustion engine showing the exhaust and intake manifolds Figure 2 isa sideelevation ofv a combined 'trap and vaporizermade in accordance with my invention; v y Y Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the vaporizershowing a side elevation of*` pipes; and y Y y Figure 4 is a vertical central section on the: line 4-4 of Figure 2, illustrating the device' as mounted upon an .exhaust mani-1 fold.

In said drawings, l represents .the cylinderfportion of anv internal combustion engine having. an intake manifold .2 and.r anv `.the main body Vpart with the cover removed l and taken -on the line.3-3 of v`Figure, 4, parts vbeing broken away to show Vthe connectingV exhaust manifold'of, usualcharacter.4 The Y intake manifold has an intakeconnection 4' adapted to be connectedrto afcarburetor, not shown. Y

"j -Upon the .exhaust manifold 3, secure esi' one of my novel combined'vapor-izer. and'` trap 5, the trapbeing'provided vwith *anV ex-V ternally threaded stem adapted' -to be screwed into' a threaded opening 7 in the 'wall 8 ofV themanifold 8 and by'nieansv of j At thelower side '.of the box, I provide an outlet. pipe 13 the wall of the boxbeing provided with a suitable thickenedpart'lt for connectingthep'ipe to the box. At one .side of the boxand just above the middle thereof, 1 provide a vsuitable internally threaded nozzle 15 v,for receiving an inlet.` pipel. Bothfthe inlet and theoulet pipes Vof the box at one side thereof'and the intermediate walls are connected with the peripheral wall of the box at the other side thereof. For instance, the upper horizontal wall 29 is connected with the peripheral wall of the body at the right hand side and just below the inlet. The next lower wall 19 is connected at ine end with the peripheral wall of the body at its left hand end. The next wall 18 projects from the right hand side of the body. This arrangement of these horizontal walls provides a zigzag passage 23 extending downwardly through the body between, the several horizontal walls` The ends of the walls opposite to the ends where they are connected with the peripheral wall of the body are separated from the peripheral wall so that this passage 223 is continuous and is relatively quite long. rl`he crosssectional area of the passage 23 is several times the cross-sectional area of the inlet and'outlet pipes so that as the vapors or gases are drawn through this passage, they flow considerably less speed than they do through the outlet pipe and have ample opportunity to become highly heated by flowing in Contact with the several heated walls. Projecting upwardly from the upper side of the upper horizontal wall 20, l arrange a series vertically extending partitions 24, 25, 26 and 27. The outer partitions or battles 2l and 27 are shorter than the middle partitions 25 or Betr-men the four vertically extending walls l provide pockets 28, and 30 and l arrange depending walls 31, 32 and 3?) which project down into these pockets, the lower ends of these walls extending below the upper ends of the shorter upwardly projecting walls 24- and 27 and provide a zigzag passage 8e between the inlet and the free end of the horizontal wall 20 through which all fluid, which enters the device from the inlet, must pass on its way to the outlet. The pockets 28, 29 and 30 in conjunction wit-h the depending ballles form traps for catching and retaining any fluid in liquid form which may enterthe device. These several traps, as described, are arranged in series, that is the entering liquid will first be trapped in the pocket 28 and if any liquid is carried over the wall 25 it will be trapped in the pocket 29 and il any liquid is carried from this pocket over the vertically extending wall 2G, it will be trapped in the last pocket 30.

rlhe several walls or battles are integral with the back wall 10 of the body and project out Hush with the outer face of' the.

llet and causing them to low in sequence through all of the zigzag passages. Furthermore, l malte these walls or baffles integral with the back wall of the device so that the heat will be most efficiently transmitted to them from the exhaust manifold through the nozzle 6 and the back wall 10.

lt will be obvious that other means can be provided for mounting` the device on the exhaust manifold which will result in sutlicient heat being transmitted to the body but l have found the method of mounting illustrated as accomplishing the result desired with a minimum expenditure of labor in making the connection.

The inlet pipe 1G may be left open or it may be connected to any suitable liquid feed means for supplying liquid such as water or hydrocarbons to the device. Preferably I connect the outlet pipe 13 to t-he inlet end l of the inlet manifold by means of a suitable pipe connection 35 and a coupling lt will lnow be understood that as the fluids enter the device through the pipe 16 any fluid in liquid form is retained in the pockets until it is vaporized and can pass over the several ,vertically arranged battles and that as the llow of gases and vaporized liquid continue through the device and pass the several horizontal ballles, the gases and vapors are highly heated before they escape i through the outlet pipe 13 and it will also be readily understood that unless the device is flooded with liquid to more than'. its va'- porizing capacity, no fluid in liquid forni can reach the outlet pipe 13 or in other words, the manifold of the engine.

As many modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, l do not limit or confine my invention to the specilicdetails Vof construction herein shown and described.

l claim: Y

1. A vaporizer for use in conjunction with an internal combustion engine, comprising a closed metallic casing adapted to be mounted on a portion of the engine to be heated thereby, the casing having an inlet for fluids at its upper part and an outlet at its lower part, the outlet adapted to be connected to the intel-:e manifold of the engine, baille walls arranged in the upper part of the casing adapted to form a. plurality of liquid traps in series, and baffle walls inthe lower part of the casing forming an elongated passage without t-raps through vwhich gases lpassing through thel device mustow to reach lthe outlet, as and for lthe purpose specified. u

2. A vaporizer adapted to .be mounted upon the exhaust manifo-ld of an internal kcombustion engine to bev heated thereby, coni-l prising aV closed metallic casing having an inlet for 'fiuids at its upper part and through which the Contents ai'e adapted to be'drawn by lower than atmospheric pressure, and an outlet for gases at its lowest part, a horizon-y tal baffle wall dividing the upper partv from the lower part except at an end thereof opposite to said inlet, a sei'ies of integral partitions extending upwardly from said horizontal wall and a series vof integral partitions depending from the outer wall of the casing and extending between said upwardly projecting partitions, whereby a series of independent pockets is provided which theV fluid passing through the device must enter in succession, and horizontally extending superheating walls arranged between said horizontal wall and the outlet as and for the purpose specified.

8. A vaporizer for connection to tlie-inl take manifold of aniiiternal combustion engine for supplying` gases thereto and coniprising a closed metallic casing yadapted to be mounted onV the exhaust manifold of the engine to be heated thereby,jan outlet at the lower side of the casing adapted to be connected ,to the engine inlet between a carburetor and the cylinders, the casinghaving an inlet for iiuids arranged above its outlet, and said casing provided with traps adapted to catch any liquid enteringV the casing through the inlet and retain saine until it is vaporized and a ,plurality of superheating baffles arranged in the path, of the gases between the traps and the outlet.

4. A vaporizer for connection to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for supplying gases thereto and coin-,-

prising a closed metallic casing adapted to be mounted on the exhaust Vmanifold of the engine to be heated thereby, an outlet at the lower side of `the casing adapted to be con? nected to the engine inlet between a carburetor and the cylinders, the casing having an inlet for fluids arranged above its outlet, said casing provided with a Series of traps through which the gases must pass successively and adaptedto -catch any. liquid ent/:ring the casing through the inlet and` retain same until it is vaporized, and super# heating walls arranged in the casing between said traps andthe outlet, as and for the pur-` pose specified.

5. A vaporizer for connection 'to the in# take manifold of 'an internal combustion engine for supplying kgases theretoand ,com-

prising a closed metallic casing adapted to be mounted on the exhaust manifold of the engine to be heated-thereby, an outlet at the vlower side of the casing adapted to be connected to the engine inlet between acarburet- Vor and the cylinders, the casing having 'an inlet for fluids arranged above its outlet, said casing provided with al series of traps adapted to catch any liquid enteringithe casing through the inlet and retain same until itis vaporized, and superheating walls arranged in the casing between the. traps and the outlet and Aforming'an elongated zigzag passage of greater areafthanthe outlet' of f the casing, fied.

6. A vaporiz-er forrconnection to the intake Vmanifold of anv internal combustion as and for the purpose speci'- engiiie .for supplying gases thereto and comprising a closedl metallic casing `adapted to Y lbe mounted on vthe exhaust manifold of the let forming'. a horizontal zigzag passage through which the gases must pass to reach vthe outlet of the casing. 7. In a device of the on the exhaust manifold of an internal coni-y bustion engine to be heated thereby, van inlet for the casing through which gasesand liquids can/be supplied, an outlet Vfor thel casing, a liquid trap within the casing arranged between the inletfand the outlet andv kind described, a i Y closedmetallic casing adapted lto be mounted adaptedito trap liquid entering through 'the inlet and retain same until it is vaporized and means for superheating the gases after they pass the trap.

8. In Aa `device ofthe kind described, a closed metallic casing adaptedy to be mounted on the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine to be heated thereby, an inlet `for the casing through which gases and liquidsvcan be supplied, kanv outlet for the casing, a pocket within the casing arranged ,between the inlet andthe outlet and adapted lto trap liquid entering thrqugh the inletV and retain same until .it is vaporized, and K superli-eating walls within the casing between saidpoclret andthe outlet for highly heating gases passing through said device.y

9. Avaporizei" ofthe kind specified coinprising a casing havingfan inlet port andan outlet port for liquid and gases, partition. ywalls in said casing providing acontinuons iioy zig-zag passage connecting said ports, saidj` walls varranged to provide a series of sucf cessive pockets between the Vends of said pas'- sage and adjacent the inlet port for catching and retaining liquid entering the casing through the inlet port until the same is vaporized, the said passage including a delivery end portion wherein the vapors are adapted to he superheated before reaching theoutlet port.

l0. A vaporizer for connection to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for supplying gases thereto and coinprising a closed metallic casing adapted to he niounted on the exhaust manifold of the engine to be heated thereby, an inlet and an outlet for the casing, said casing provided with a series of pockets adapt-ed to successively catch any liquid entering the casing through the inlet and retain saine until it is vaporized, and superheating Walls arranged in the casing `loetween said pockets and the outlet, as and for the purpose specified.

1l. In a device of the kind described, a

closed casing having an inlet and an outlet,

between the trap means and the outlet, the

Walls of which serve to retain any unvapoi'ized fluid carried by the passing gases and to superheat said gases.

Signed at Chicago, illinois, this Zith day ol April, 1922.

RVING COWTLES. 

